Solar cells can be an alternative source of abundant, clean energy. However, solar power can be significantly more expensive than electrical power generated by coal and natural gas. This is due, in part, to manufacturing costs associated with the photovoltaic cells that are used to convert sunlight to electricity. Among such costs are the use of silicon crystals and the need for clean room batch fabrication processes. Incremental cost savings may be achieved through economies of scale. New solar devices and fabrication processes are needed that may reduce the cost of solar power and enable new applications.